Field emission electron sources, often referred to as field emission materials or field emitters, can be used in a variety of electronic applications, e.g., vacuum electronic devices, flat panel computer and television displays, emission gate amplifiers, and back-lighting.
There is a continuing need for improved technology enabling the use of acicular carbon (e.g. carbon nanotubes) in electron field emitters. In the process, conductor electrodes and emitters formed by a separate imaging, development and firing steps. If the electrode is made of ITO, ITO is sputtered via a mask pattern in vacuum. If the electrode is made of silver, a photoimageable silver thick film paste, such as Fodel® from DuPont, is first screen-printed, dried, photo-imaged, developed, and fired. Then a CNT emitter paste is printed on top of conductor electrodes, dried, imaged, developed and fired.
There is a need to minimize the number of process steps and improve the process. The present invention addresses this need.